Category Archives: Trance

Jos Gonzlez has never put much faith in borders or national identity, and that principle lies at the heart of his fourth studio album, Local Valley.

Born in Sweden and raised on the Brazilian bossa nova, latin folk and Cuban Nueva Trova of Silvio Rodrguez played at home by his Argentine parents, Gonzlez's teenage years were soundtracked by US hardcore bands and post-rock experiments like Tortoise, before he began to put his classical guitar training to use in his own songwriting.

Since that point Gonzlez has seemingly never stopped expanding his musical horizons, pulling in Asian scales, sub-Saharan guitar styles and, in his listening, Ghanaian highlife, Nigerian afrobeat and more.

However, it feels as if Local Valley is perhaps the most varied, playful and successful attempt he has made at knitting it together, powered, as ever, by his unique and ever-evolving magpie-classical guitar style.

Gonzlezs masterstroke on Local Valley is using this rich, tapestry of global influences to highlight humanitys preoccupation with tiny rivalries in the face of universal challenges. Fortunately, he makes it sound good, too...

You've said that on this record you set out to write songs in the same vein as your old records, which is the opposite of what most artists say. Why did you take that approach?

Because I enjoy playing guitar and enjoy the simplicity of many of my old songs. I feel like all my songs have that ambition of simplicity. But I think this time I did look back on my first album and [spent time] remembering how I was thinking back then in terms of song length, and aiming for guitar playing that was right on the edge of my skill level.

So that was the first aim, but once I had like five or six songs, I switched to do all these other songs that are looped guitars and vocals and drum machines. So I did start with that ambition, but I didn't end up with another Veneer!

Rules are made to be broken! You mentioned aiming for guitar playing on the edge of your ability. What does that process look like for you?

I always start with guitar riffs. And at that time, it's usually stuff that's pretty easy to play. But then I always push up the ambition in terms of trying to embellish these riffs with a top line melody, or a bass line that's a bit more complicated to play. And then, usually, I reach a level where it's too hard to play, but I know I could do it, if I only practice. And that's when I start using the metronome. Sometimes it's a lot of practice before I get it and Im done with a particular song.

I want to have songs where I can focus more on the groove and trance-like states

On this album, maybe one of the clearer examples is Valle Locale, the Spanish song. It was really hard to play it and sing at the same time. Once I had a recording, I was so pleased that I actually made it, I kept it. But then, with the pandemic, I got more time to think about it.

I was listening to the song while while running, as I usually do, and it felt way too slow, so I started training guitar! Playing it faster and faster and seeing where it sounded too fast. So that's one way that I pushed myself. I find that's always been one way to bring musicality to a piece by being able to play faster than you need to, you're able to play each note with with the tone you want.

Much has been made of the Latin influences in your music, but there's not much discussion of the African influences that have come to the fore in your playing. Tell me about the impact of those musicians on you. I really hear it on this record in songs like Tjomme.

Yeah! Of course. Around my second album [2007s In Our Nature], I started listening to Ali Farka Tour, and Tinariwen. And later, I had the chance to tour with Sidi Tour and also do a guest appearance with Tinariwen in London and Stockholm. And then I had a jam session with Bombino from Nigeria. So, yeah, it started around the second half of 2007 when I made the Killing For Love and Ive just kept on introducing that influence.

That bluesy, bubbling sound, to me, it hits this nerve. It's very rhythmical and very groovy, but it has this earthiness that I enjoy so much, this certain rawness. I guess it also speaks to what I enjoyed so much with hardcore music, or instrumental post-rock, or bands like Tortoise, where there is this linearity.

So many of the songs, they're just one or two note song structures and its that sense of trance that I that I enjoy When I play live, I get a bit bored if I only have songs like Crosses and Heartbeats. I feel like I want to have songs where I can focus more on the groove and trance-like states.

Theres something universal and borderless about this record. Youve never placed much importance on national identity, but here theres a really noticeable array of influences from around the world. You have songs in Spanish and Swedish, and songs like Swing and Lilla G, which are universal in that theyre based around dance or repetitive, chanted melodies. Why did now seem the right time to do that?

Well, in a way, I felt like I've done that before. Maybe not the languages, but the styles. So a song like The Forest [from 2015s Vestiges & Claws] was inspired by Indian raga and pentatonic major scale that's so typical for Asian music. But whats new? The languages and the range of styles is even more diverse, I guess.

But yeah, the time is right for many reasons. I feel more comfortable showing more of myself and I feel more comfortable singing in these languages. I was ready to do that on the previous album, but I got stuck and and in a way lazier and when I switched to English, it just flowed easier! On this album, once I tried it, it just clicked, and I didn't feel like I got stuck anytime.

Becoming a dad changed my mindset a bit, too. Youre forced to be creative when you're around a kid, there's lots of playing and lots of singing, too. There's been so much melody going around in my mind and I guess that helps once it's time to write a song you're already being creative everyday, so it's not a big switch.

As someone who's felt like I've had constant writer's block that was the typical way of feeling when I was supposed to write a new song, back in the day becoming a dad helped me a lot.

I see the world, this earth, this planet as our local valley. I see the smallness of our Pale Blue Dot, as Carl Sagan has put it. When you zoom out into the universe, this is a very small place that we live on

And with languages, too just speaking Spanish with my daughter has sort of relaxed my sense for words in different languages. Also, your time is limited, and you have to catch sleep so it's like, it's now or never!

You recorded this album at your familys summer house in Sweden. Can you describe your space there?

Yeah. I call it the studio, but it's it's just a house with a wooden floor, a wooden ceiling, so it has nice acoustics. I was looking for a new studio in the city, but we got tired of looking and bought this summer house, where we hang out as family.

So when I was writing and recording, I went there on my own and set up my mic preamp and a laptop in the middle of the living room, with the view: the rocks and pines and birches and the birds!

So that was perfect for me as a place where I can I could write and record and then take breaks going out in nature. It's become to me a very big part of this album. When you see sunsets, you get romantic! And when I'm on my own there I also enjoy thinking about the bigger topics: about humanity and the future.

Were you doing the engineering yourself for much of this record?

Yeah, for almost all of my solo albums I have been engineering it myself. This time, I decided not to buy any new gear, not to buy any new plugins! I decided if I'm going to put time on something, it's going to be on rehearsing guitars and refining the song. So as I'm using my Neumann U67 and using Universal Audio gear and plugins, which I'm very comfortable with, to bring out this analogue sound.

Were there any guitars that you favored more heavily on this album?

Most of the time I was using one of my live guitars, an Esteve. It's a 9CB, with old strings. But I also have a smaller guitar by Cordoba. I was thinking of using more guitars, but I ended up using the same ones for almost all the songs and making it slightly different from song to song [with mics/positioning].

So most of the songs I'm [recording guitars and vocals separately] with the Neumann U67, but then on some some recordings I was doing a stereo mic on the guitar and a vocal Neumann, like a live recording setup. I guess one that stands out as fun is Swing, where I recorded the vocals with an SM57, one of the cheapest mics you can get.

I was rehearsing the loops through a Schertler acoustic amp and I ended up using a line guitar through my live setup, which is just an EQ pedal and a tube DI. A [Radial Engineering] Firefly, and putting the vocal through the 57 and then through the tape delay a [Roland] Re-201 Space Echo. And that sounded great.

What is it about the Esteve and Cordoba in particular, that you that you love?

Well, live, I'm using an Alhambra, which I've had throughout the years with a Fishman Prefix Pro Blend pickup. It's not particularly good in intonation, it has some flaws, but over the years it's been the guitar that I'm used to, so I was trying to find similar guitars and Esteve's 9CB was similar enough to it, so I bought two of those. One one with the pine [spruce] wood [top] and one with the cedar top.

I like old strings, but once in a while I really enjoy new ones not brand new but new. But it's not fun to play them in!

Theres nothing special about it. It's a very typical classical guitar, but its what I know best. Playing live, I've gotten used to the frequencies it has. So there's a resonance around the tone A, which, sometimes it's cool for boosting the sound. And, since we know the frequencies we need to notch, it's practical to use similar guitars.

Then the Cordoba guitars are slightly smaller and they have a resonance around G. And I have very old strings on that particular Cordoba guitar that I was using. So if I switched to the Cordoba, it was mainly to aim for a bit more of a lo-fi sound. So I used that for Valle Locale and for Honey Honey. It was mainly for the strings and not so much the guitar itself actually.

When you say old strings, how old?

Let's see, I think the Cordoba, I haven't changed once. And I got it about four or five years ago. But I have to add that it's one of the guitars that I don't use as much because I'm using the live guitars more. But even the live guitars, I would say I change the strings about once a year, or something.

This is reassuring for those of us who own nylon-string guitars and hate changing the strings on them

Yeah. It's horrible. Now I actually need to change them before the US tour and I hate it. Because I have to change them and play them in. And it's not fun to play them in! It sounds so metallic and, yeah, it's horrible.

But I have to say, I like old strings, but once in a while I really enjoy new ones not brand new but new. So you get that fresh tonality and sustain. Ive used that on a couple of recordings, but on this album I'm working more with the reverbs and delays to get that freshness.

It's good to know that we have your permission to leave them on for forever.

Yeah, I'm not sponsored by any string makers yet! Probably because I'm not the best promoter

I dont change strings often but once every five years, I use

[Laughs] Yeah, or I go to my guitar shop and ask if they're throwing away any old strings.

Alternate tunings have proven quite fertile ground for you before. What are your preferred tunings at the moment?

Yeah, I use the regular tuning and then I have ADA [on the bottom strings], which is one from my second album. And then for the songs that are in the Sahel Desert style, my favorite is EADA so its just the G that goes up to A.

[Two that are done] in a similar tuning [are] Fold and Far Away, where the E goes down all the way to B. So it's BADG, and with the capo on the second fret, but only five out of six strings so you get that very, very low bass and then more regular highs. Then Honey Honey is also similar with BABG.

Weve talked about the sort of borderless, universal nature of the music on this record the languages, the influences from across the globe, the universal nature of these songs about rhythms and trance states, or dance. So why is the record called Local Valley?

Because I see the world, this earth, this planet as our local valley. I see the smallness of our Pale Blue Dot, as Carl Sagan has put it. When you zoom out into the universe, this is a very small place that we live on. So that's one of the ways I think about the title, especially in a song like Visions.

Then in the song Valle Locale, I'm thinking more in terms of a local valley where you have tribes that talk past each other, they can't collaborate, they don't want to communicate and they're sort of stuck. And if you're smart, you see all these other beautiful valleys, that could be so much more comfortable if we only collaborated to go to these better, nicer places.

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Jos Gonzlez: "For this album, I didn't buy any new gear. I decided if I'm going to put time into something, it would be on rehearsing guitars and...

The Kerala state film awards are around the corner and leading actors like Biju Menon, Fahadh Faasil, Jayasurya, Indrans, Suraj Venjaramoodu and Tovino Thomas are in the race for the prestigious best actor award.

Meanwhile, veteran actress Shobana, Anna Ben, Nimisha Sajayan, Parvathy Thiruvoth and Samyukta Menon are vying for the best actress award.

About 80 films that were released last year are in the run for the state awards. Two initial juries would watch these movies and asses them. The final jury would watch the movies that are recommended to the next round. The heads of the initial juries would be members in the final jury too.

Even though the theaters were shut down due to the pandemic situation, there was no dearth of films. Interestingly, six directors have submitted two movies each for the awards in various categories. Mahesh Narayanan, Sidhartha Siva, Jeo Baby, Ashok R Nath, Sidhique Paravur and Don Palathara have submitted two of their movies for the awards.

Biju Menon had impressed everyone with his spectacular performance in Ayyappanum Koshiyum. Meanwhile, Fahadh dazzled in Malik and Trance. Jayasurya is in the race with his amazing performances in Vellam and Sunny. With Velukakka Oppu Ka, veteran actor Indrans poses a challenge to the other nominees. Tovino has been nominated for his convincing performances in Kilometers and Kilometers and the thriller movie Forensic. Meanwhile, Suraj is nominated for The Great Indian Kitchen.

The jury cannot ignore the brilliant performances of Shobana (Varane Avashyamundu), Anna Ben (Kappela), Nimisha Sajayan (The Great Indian Kitchen), Parvathy Thiruvoth (Varthamanam) and Samyukta Menon (Vellam, Wolf) while deciding the award in the best actress category.

Late film maker Sachy might be considered for the best director award for Ayyappanum Koshiyum. He might be considered in the best screenplay category too. If he wins, it would be a posthumous honor for the director. The movie is noted for the splendid performance by its cast including actor Anil Nedumangad, who too had bid adieu to this world. Meanwhile, Mahesh Narayanan is a front runner in this category with Malik and CU Soon. The latter movie, which was filmed during the lockdown period, could be considered for best editing too.

Three senior film makers who had impressed the juries earlier with their movies and had won multiple awards are competing this year as well. Syamaprasad (Kasiminte Kadal), Dr. Biju (Orange Marangalude Veedu) and Harikumar (Jwalamukhi) are these directors. Everyone is curious to see whether Dr. Biju, who hasnt won a state award until now but had registered big wins at the national awards, would win this year. Harikumars Jwalamukhi was appreciated for actress Surabi Lakshmis incredible performance.

The songs from Sufiyum Sujatahyum (M Jayachandran) and Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Jakes Bejoy) had topped the chartbuster list. Music lovers are waiting to see whether it would be reflected in the state awards too. Young filmmakers like Kahild Rahman (Love), Rahul Riji Nair (Kho Kho) and Sidhartha Siva (Varthamanam) who had won unexpectedly in the previous years are all set to give a tough competition this year too. Meanwhile, Muhammad Mustafa (Kappela), Anoop Sathyan (Varane Avashyamundu), Shanavas Nalakathu (Sufiyum Sujathayum) are competing for the best debutant director award.

Here is the list of films that are competing in various categories in this years state awards and their directors:

Vellam (Prajesh Sen), Krithi (Suresh), Mathilukal: Love in the Time of Corona (Anwar Abdullah), Thahira (Sidhique Paravur), Bharatapuzha (Manilal), Chayam Poosunnavar (Sidhique Paravur), Insa (KV Sijumon), Sajan Bakery Since 1962 (Arun Appukuttan), Aquarium (T Deepesh), Pyali (Babitha Mathew, AX Rinmon), Far (Praveen Peter), Ek Din (Vishnu), Kasiminte Kadal (Syamaprasad), Munna (Surendran Kaloor), Thinkalazhcha Nischayam (Senna Hegde), Kakkathuruth (Shaji Pandavathu), Bonamy (Tony Sukumar), Eighteen Plus (Mithun Jyoti), Anjam Pathira (Mithun Manuel), Ayyppanum Koshiyum (Sachidanandan), Vanku (Kavya Prakash), Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam (Don Palathara), Paka (Nithin Lukose), Ice Orathu (Akhil Kavunkal).

Orilathanalil (Ashok R Nath), Love (Khalid Rahman), Kunjeldho (Arun Mathew), Randam Naal (Seenath), Udambadi (Suresh P Thomas), Swapnangal Pookkunna Kaadu (Sohan Lal), Velukakka Oppu Ka (Ashok Kumar), Ennivar (Sidhartha Siva), Toll Free 1600 600 60 (KB Sajeev), Disha (VC Jose), Orange Marangalude Veedu (Dr. Biju), Kanthi (Ashok R Nath), Sunny (Ranjith Shankar), Trance (Anwar Rasheed), Kappela (Muhammad Mustafa), Musical Chair (Vipin Atlee), Paay the Great (Sreelaja Mukundakumaran), Andal (Shereef Isa), Laika (Asad Sivaraman), Varthamanam (Sidhartha Siva), Kho Kho (Rahul Riji Nair), Love FM (Sreedev Kappur), Bhoomiyile Manohara Sokaryam (Shaiju Anthikad), Oruthi (VK Prakash).

Paapam Cheyyathvar Kalleriyatte (LP Shambu), Velutha Madhuram (Jiju Orapadi), Veyil (Sharath Menon), Chora Veena Mannil (Muriyad Surendran), 1956 Madyathiruvathamkoor (Don Palathara), Moppala (Santhosh Puthukunnu), Inland (SK Sreejith Lal), Fourth River (RK Dream West), Halal Love Story (Zackariya Muhammad), Lal Bagh (Prasanth Murali), Varane Avashyamundu (Anoop Sathyan), Forensic (Akhil Paul, Anas Khan), Perfume Her Fragrance (P Haridasan), Eelam (Vinod Krishna), Article 21 (LU Lenin), The Great Indian Kitchen (Jeo Baby), Sufiyum Sujathayum (Shanavas Nalakathu), My Dear Machans (Dileep Narayanan), Divorce (IG Mini), Aanum pennum (Venu, Jai K, Aashiq Abu).

The 137 Auditions of Avrahaam Yakoob (Anup Narayanan), Pachathappu (S Anukumar), CU Soon (Mahesh Narayanan), Malik (Mahesh Narayanan), Uriyattu (K Bhuvanachandran Nair), Irul (Naseef Isudeen), Kilometers and Kilometers (Jeo Baby), Elmer (Gopi Kuttikol), The Kung Fu Master (Abrid Shine), Wolf (Shaji Aziz), Jwalamukhi (Harikumar), Kayattam (Sanalkumar).

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Big names in the race for this years Kerala state film awards - Onmanorama

The conversation around gun violence in the U.S. usually focuses on homicides and mass shootings, and there is little information about the public health, financial, psychological and social toll of nonfatal gun injuries. Nicole Xu for NPR hide caption

The conversation around gun violence in the U.S. usually focuses on homicides and mass shootings, and there is little information about the public health, financial, psychological and social toll of nonfatal gun injuries.

The uniquely American epidemic of mass killings by firearms grabs most of the attention from the media, politicians and the public. And the big increase in homicides in 2020 and overall violent crime on the rise across many American cities also get their share of coverage.

But for decades, the devastating impact of nonfatal firearm injuries in the U.S. has been understudied, undercovered by the media and often overlooked. Political pressure from the gun lobby, regulations and "disordered and highly segmented" collection systems have created chronically unreliable data and information that obscure our true understanding of the public health, financial, psychological and social toll of gun injuries, according to a 2020 study on firearms.

We know from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that just over 100 people, on average, are killed by firearms in the U.S. every day. That includes crimes, suicides, gun accidents and shootings involving law enforcement.

But how often is someone injured by a firearm in America? Why, how and what kinds of weapons are used? What are the underlying causes? What's the relationship between shooter and victim? What evidence-based, scalable programs work best to help prevent criminal shootings, accidents and suicides? On these and other questions, people in public health, criminal justice, policing and academia admit they lack full and adequate answers.

They're partly in the dark because for more than two decades, the gun lobby and Republican allies in Congress effectively blocked federal funding for firearms research, arguing that such study would undermine the constitutional rights of lawful gun owners.

As a result of that and other factors, experts say, in-depth gun-data collection and sharing in the U.S. is a tangled mess that undermines objective research on programs and policies intended to prevent firearm injury, suicide and criminal violence.

The CDC under Dr. Rochelle Walensky says that will now, finally, start to change.

And for the thousands of Americans affected, survival and recovery from gun injuries look very different for each individual. Here are a few of their stories.

Jennifer Longdon, Phoenix:

Jennifer Longdon and her fianc were getting tacos when both were shot by an unknown assailant. Today she's an Arizona state lawmaker. Gun violence prevention and disability rights are her top priorities. Michael Ging hide caption

Jennifer Longdon and her fianc were getting tacos when both were shot by an unknown assailant. Today she's an Arizona state lawmaker. Gun violence prevention and disability rights are her top priorities.

In 2004, Jennifer Longdon and her then-fianc, David, had recently returned from vacation and were about to get dinner at a local Mexican-food drive-through. They were grabbing tacos, holding hands and talking wedding details. Out of nowhere, a pickup truck sideswiped their car and someone inside opened fire with a handgun.

Five bullets later, both were near death. Both suffered life-changing injuries.

Longdon's fianc was shot three times, including once in the head and the shoulder. The martial arts instructor and former taekwondo champion suffered severe brain damage. He is medically incapacitated.

"He's now blind. He has no sense of smell. His hearing is diminished, and he has a very significant brain injury that impacts how he thinks," Longdon says.

The last bullet fired from the pickup truck struck Longdon in her back. She is now paralyzed just below her collarbone. She uses a wheelchair.

There was no discernible why to the shooting: no road rage or drug deal gone bad. The shooting was totally random and inexplicable. No one has ever been arrested; there are currently no suspects despite rewards and an investigation.

"You know, you can theorize a million different ways what was the cause," Longdon says. "I don't know. I don't know."

There would be no wedding. They didn't stay together. Their lives were soon consumed by surgeries, outpatient therapy and adjusting to life with a disability.

Longdon still finds it hard to rethink some details from the night of the shooting. With her survival questionable, her ex-husband brought their then-12-year-old son to her bedside in the hospital trauma room.

Nonfatal injuries do not get the attention that they deserve.

Jennifer Longdon

"And there's my little boy," she says, her voice cracking. "And he's trying to comfort me. And his face is so pale and his eyes are so wild. And he's stroking my hair that's just full of blood, telling me it's going to be OK. And the thing that I always remember is that he was so afraid and so brave. And that happens to children across our country every single day."

The CDC is now hoping to get a fuller picture of the data and long-neglected details on the impact of daily gun violence. The CDC and the National Institutes of Health, for the first time in nearly a quarter-century, are funding new research on guns to help reduce firearm-related injuries, deaths, crime and suicides.

Among several other gun research projects, the CDC is now providing funding to 10 state health departments so they can start collecting data in near-real time on emergency room nonfatal firearm injuries. This will allow doctors and epidemiologists to potentially identify trends and craft swift interventions, as they have done to contain the coronavirus pandemic and other national health emergencies.

Longdon was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2018. Today she is the assistant Democratic minority leader in the statehouse. Among her top state priorities are disability rights and public health-based gun violence prevention. She welcomes the renewal of federal gun research but says it needs to grow far beyond the initial funding.

"Nonfatal injuries do not get the attention that they deserve," she says. "The best policy comes from having great data. And so that's the first thing that we need to fix."

Laura Morris was caught in an escalating cycle of abuse at the hands of her former husband. One night he shot her through the shoulder. Today she helps others who've survived gun injuries and domestic abuse. Laura Morris hide caption

Laura Morris, Annapolis, Md.:

In her 20s, Laura Morris was married to an abusive man with alcohol and drug problems. The physical and emotional torment, she says, steadily got worse, especially when he was drunk or high.

"He would beat me and berate me," Morris says.

One night after heavy drinking, he returned home and, as usual, began threatening and assaulting her. But this time he brandished an unregistered handgun he'd bought for $25 at a local bar.

"He pushed me on the sofa and put the gun to my stomach and said, 'Gut shots hurt the worst,' " Morris says.

Morris is not really sure what happened next. She heard the gun go off. She felt frozen, unable to move.

"And I thought, 'Oh, my God, he actually killed me.' And I just, I remember just sitting there thinking, 'OK, what happens now?' And all the thoughts go through your head: Who's going to find my body? What's going to happen to my son? You know, all these things," she says.

Her husband fell to the living room floor, drunk and despondent, shouting, "I killed her, I killed her," she says.

Then she remembers taking a deep breath.

"And at that moment I could smell gunpowder. And I looked and I could see out of the corner of my eye there was smoke coming out of my jacket."

Morris thinks that when her husband pressed the handgun against her stomach, she pushed his arm away, knocking the handgun upward as he fired. The bullet went through her shoulder, as well as the sofa, and lodged in the nearby wall.

She says her husband was contrite. But soon the routine was back. Hitting and abuse followed by apologies. Morris physically recovered from her gunshot wound without seeking medical attention. She didn't call the police either. She was too scared to leave but worried every day about the next time.

"And next time he won't miss," she remembers thinking. "He always said if I ever left him, he would shoot me in the back of the head when I least expected it. It was just that everyday, constant terror."

There's the misconception and I had that misconception: 'Well, you survived, so you must be OK.' And that's not true.

Laura Morris

One day, he came home high, and his typical pattern of abusing her followed. Her usual survival strategy involved grabbing her son when her husband went into the bathroom. They'd then drive around the neighborhood until her husband had passed out. That night, when she went into her son's room, she says, the little boy was standing there with his coat on and blanket in hand, all ready to go.

"Like he knew from the yelling that this was going to happen. And I thought, 'We can't live like this.' You know, he's growing up thinking that this is normal," she says.

The next morning, she woke up determined: I'd rather be dead than live this way.

"Three or four times a week I'd wake up and think, 'Wow, this could be the last day,' " she remembers. " 'This could be the day he [kills me].' And I thought, 'Who thinks like that?' "

She finally left.

Her life didn't get better right away. It took a lot of work and time. There was baggage to unpack, she says, "but eventually it got better. My life took a good turn."

She is happily remarried and is about to retire from a successful career in sales and marketing.

These days, Morris is active in several groups supporting people who've survived gun violence and domestic abuse, including work as a peer support group coordinator for Everytown for Gun Safety in Anne Arundel County, Md. She also helped found and run the organization's Wounded Survivors Affinity Group.

People wounded by gun violence, she says, often have a hard time talking about and unpacking the trauma. She did. She recalls the first time she told her full story in public.

"I almost didn't get through it," she says, "And I had to pull the garbage can over to the podium because I thought I was going to vomit. I just couldn't stop crying. And I think it was just that it was the first time that I had just said it out loud to people."

Survivors need places to talk and connect with other survivors, she says.

"It can be a lonely sort of place, because where do you bring that up in conversation? 'Oh, by the way, did I ever tell you that I was shot?' " And when you do tell people, she says, there's often a mixture of shock and horror. "And then they ask all these questions. And you may not feel comfortable at that moment answering questions about that."

She'd like to see these kinds of support programs grow and involve younger people affected by gun violence.

"There's the misconception and I had that misconception: 'Well, you survived, so you must be OK,' " she says. "And that's not true."

James Hinckley-Wade was paralyzed in a shooting when he was 17. These days he helps mentor young people caught up in gangs, drugs and violence so they can avoid the life mistakes he made. James Hinckley-Wade hide caption

James Hinckley-Wade, Phoenix:

James Hinckley-Wade's story starts with a routine house party.

He was 17, and he describes himself back then as "lost" and consumed by drug dealing and gang life.

One night, he and some friends, he says, were "getting drunk, hanging out," goofing off and trying to impress girls and each other. Hinckley-Wade remembers beers, weed and a back-flip contest.

"I remember tucking against one of my homeboys I went to junior high school with, you know, just having a good time," he recalls. "From there, it just kind of gets dark."

Bending to peer pressure, he says, he smoked a cigarette that had been dipped in PCP, a hallucinogenic drug better known as "angel dust," among other nicknames.

"It was like out [of] a horror movie. My body went into some kind of crazy trance, and my whole being just left me," he says.

A short time later, out on the street with friends, things spiraled further. They ran into a possible member of a rival gang. Hinckley-Wade beat him up.

"I was high. I jumped on this dude for nothing, pretty much," he says.

The bruised rival returned about an hour later with a friend and a 9 mm handgun.

"And so I start approaching that dude, and [he] pulled out a pistol Lord, forgive me, Jesus' name. Yeah, he pulled out a pistol."

They could probably prevent a lot of this [violence] just by talking to somebody before it happened.

James Hinckley-Wade

A bullet hit his spinal cord.

"He hit my main artery in my neck," Hinckley-Wade explains.

He's now paralyzed from his chest down. He uses a motorized wheelchair to get around.

Looking back, Hinckley-Wade says it all stemmed from immaturity, teenage bravado and his efforts to get the attention of a high-ranking gang member who was in town from California.

"I was trying to impress him, like I've been doing the whole time since I started gangbanging, trying to impress. For nothing," Hinckley-Wade says, choking up. "For nothing."

These days, Hinckley-Wade plays and teaches wheelchair power soccer and sits on the Phoenix Police Department's disability advisory board. He also does volunteer work with violence prevention groups and Ability360, an independent living center for people with disabilities. He says that through peer-mentoring young people involved in drugs, crime and gangs, he tries to help them make better decisions than the ones he made.

"We know people are going to get mad. We know people are going to get angry," he says. Mentoring can help young people "express that or get that out before people start wanting to pick up guns. They could probably prevent a lot of this [violence] just by talking to somebody before it happened."

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After 25 Years In The Dark, The CDC Wants To Study The True Toll Of Guns In America - NPR

With Chapter One of MOSAIIK their eleventh long-playing project now released, Nic & Bossi take us into the Fall with a high frequency run of singles from the album. Unleashing a new track fortnightly, first out of the gate is the dark festival anthem Vertigo.

The most diverse track of MOSAIIK Chapter One, it is also one of the best examples of the Forward Ever, Backward Never/new horizons direction the group have taken with the album.

Vertigo tilts clubfloors into deep sonic trance, with underlying techno echoes spiked throughout. No towering highs or nadirs just a DJ tool, master-crafted start-through-finish for maximum tension. Sleek & minimal, lean & linear, its hallmarked by floor-charging sub-riffs, big horns, bigger booms and a mass of warp. Built with a brilliantly tense and anticipatory sense, Vertigo develops a Cosmic atmospheric unlike any before it.

Receiving early A-list set & radio support from A&B, Armin, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Markus Schulz and Andrew Rayel, the club expansion of Vertigo goes zero gravity.

Listen to the track below.

Alex Gelevski is our official photographer. He has been listening to electronic dance music since middle school. Apart from being photographer for Rave Jungle he likes to play basketball in his spare time.

Continued here:

Cosmic Gate have unleashed a brand new single 'Vertigo' - Rave Jungle

Following the release of his awe-inspiring progressive trance EP, Philia & Phobia, Znas is back with yet another masterpiece of an EP production. Staying true to his progressive trance nature, the multi-faceted artist has teamed up with singer/songwriter Nelly TGM for a vocal track titled Unearth Me.

Providing fans with both a radio edit and extended version of his latest track, Znas has been following a similar approach when releasing music, as he has stated that Original Mixes are not necessary according to how the music industry is focused, and in turn has opted to omit the original version in the work which he presents.

Adding to his philosophy, the Znas Music owner created his label with the intention of discovering new musical values and give them a chance in their beginnings. With each release, the Spanish DJ/producer looks at portraying a message that will significantly impact an individual in that moment of time, and Unearth Me has come at a time where people fail to realise that happiness is within our reach, and that it is in ourselves to find it.

A dynamic trance production, Znas never fails to disappoint when it comes to showcasing his musical prowess to the world. The addition of Nelly TGM on vocals helps intensify the tracks personality, whilst the deep meaning behind the lyrics will have the listener embark on a unique journey of musical freedom and euphoria. Sharing her thoughts on the overall meaning of this track, Nelly TGM had the following to say;

I believe some imaginations only are defined in humans mind. Fortunately or unfortunately, I consider time and space as imaginary matters too. But if we could imagine the truth (the light which I mention in the lyrics) we will find our truth and real peace which from its comfort we will end up crying because we cant believe were only one breathe away from real happiness. And in the end, we need to unearth the truth from material life (soil) and plant them in our minds and souls in order to let them grow naturally, not depending on our illusions.

Out now via Znas Music, Unearth Me is destined for nothing other success. With a powerful backstory, both artists have set to remind people that happiness comes from within, and that material things and other people may come and go, but we must always ensure that we stay true to ourselves. Meaningful to say the least, you can check out this latest EP below and let us know what you think in the comments section.

Image Credit: Press Release

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Znas delivers awe-inspiring EP 'Unearth Me' with Nelly TGM: Listen - We Rave You

Sep. 15Skyline

Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. 5 Passion Records.

If you love the traditional jazz trio format, you'll love Skyline.

Due out this Friday, this amazing album features Grammy-winning pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and National Endowment for the Arts jazz masters Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette on bass and drums, respectively. Carter received the NEA jazz master honor in 1998 and DeJohnette followed in 2012.

Both are two of the more highly regarded and sought-after jazz artists.

Carter and DeJohnette also are no strangers to Rubalcaba, who was raised and educated in Havana before emigrating to the Dominican Republic in 1991 and then to Miami in 1996. He said early gigs with those two turned out to be his "real school, [his] portal to a different relationship with American musicians and American music."

Rubalcaba sought out the two of them again for Skyline, a project filled with Afro-Cuban rhythms but also one which allowed for a lot of individual creativity gained from experience.

In the opening number, "Lagrimas Negras," a Cuban standard from the 1920s written by Miguel Matamoros, Rubalcaba plays like a house on fire. I'm not kidding. His furious tempo and incredible dexterity on the keyboard makes your jaw drop. It's not just fast. It's brilliant.

All three of the musicians brought in a pair of tunes previously recorded by other musicians, to give them fresh new visions and reinterpretations. Several were originally recorded between the late 1970s and late 1990s.

The shortest number of the nine-song disc also hails from the 1920s, a Cuban standard called "Novia Mia," by Jose Antonio Mendez. It is three minutes and 26 seconds of sheer beauty in which the trio steps back into a real soothing groove, putting listeners in a delightful trance.

The final song is a fun, bluesy mashup written by all three, called "RonJackRuba."

The talent's outstanding on this disc, but so is the collaboration. If you like that stripped-down, unplugged interplay between jazz piano, bass and drums, this is one of the best to come out in a long time.

Read this article:

'Skyline' is the traditional jazz trio format you'll love - Yahoo News

Crack Magazine Supporters can watch for free from Friday.

The Sound of Belgium is one of the standout music documentaries of recent years, a journey into the smoke and lasers of a small countrys rave culture and its big impact on dance history.

Directed by Jozef Devill and produced by Visual Antics, the documentary explains how Belgium became an unlikely hotspot for electronic music in the 80s and 90s. With insight from bands, producers and DJs on the scene, the documentary traces the energy flash of techno and trance back to Belgian beer halls, pipe organs and the 60s motorway network that connected the countrys youth to its legendary nightclubs.

With a belting soundtrack featuring Front 242, Technotronic, T99 and more, the film touches on the 70s scene known as Popcorn, the emergence of New Beat and EBM, and the hoover sound heyday of Belgian rave created by artists like CJ Bolland and Outlander.

Crack Magazine Supporters can redeem The Sound of Belgium for free from 17-23 September. The screening is available to Supporters around the world.

This is the latest music movie made available to Supporters, following Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda and WITCH: We Intend to Cause Havoc. Become a Supporter now to access this and more screenings, talks, digital issues and exclusives.

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Watch rave documentary 'The Sound of Belgium' - Crack Magazine

Police in Nanaimo hope to reunite a mountain bike with its owner. (Photo submitted)

Police turning to the public to help find owner of Giant Trance mountain bike

The Nanaimo RCMP recently recovered an expensive mountain bike they suspect was stolen.

Investigators have exhausted efforts to locate the rightful owner of the bike and are now turning to the public to help return the bike, a blue and white Giant Trance, to its owner.

Anyone with information about who owns the bike is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and quote file No. 2021-28559.

READ ALSO: Suspected thief spews barrage of profanities as Nanaimo RCMP seize mountain bike

READ ALSO: Nanaimo RCMP say increase in cycling opens up potential for more bike thefts

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Nanaimo RCMP hope to return expensive bike, suspected to have been stolen, to its owner Nanaimo News Bulletin - Nanaimo Bulletin

Published Sep 15, 2021

9

Over the years, Balvin had developed a successful formula of blending international trends with his trademark reggaetn sound and encapsulating club hits and ballads into a neat conceptual package. WithJOSE, he takes a more freehanded approach and puts himself at the forefront of the album's musical direction by carefully curating each song's progression.

Previously, Balvin seemed satisfied to simply be with the times and he is leading the way once more withJOSE. From opening track "F40," Balvin announces the album will be taking more risks by way of a sudden tempo change and the inclusion of a self-aggrandizing speech from Latin trap legend Arcngel. "Una Nota" and "Te Acuerdas de M" share the same beat provided by Balvin's implacable production team of Sky Rompiendo and Tainy, but featuring two artists at opposite sides of the Latin music world, the former with newcomer Sech and the latter featuring the announced return of reggaetn veteran Yandel (who boldly asks, "Remember me?").

Where Balvin used to find himself, at times, bested by his flavour-of-the-month features, the Colombian has now taken the reins and holds his own on every collaboration. He sounds more comfortable than ever on the trap-tinged "Billetes de 100," offering a solid contrast to the rugged Myke Towers verse, and he effortlessly outperforms crooner Ozuna on "Pa' Guayarte." Balvin still does what he does best in breaking new artists such as Tokischa on "Perra" and Maria Bercerra on "Que Mas Pues" but he proves he can hang with the legends too, like when he provides a sublime sonic setting for the legendary Zion & Lennox on "Si Te Atreves" or on the Skrillex-supported sleeper hit-in-the-making "In Da Getto."

The album's solo tracks standout including the trance-inducing "Que Locura" and silky ballad "Fantasas." But no reggaetn record would be complete without a posse cut here, it's the remix of mega-hit "Poblado" featuring heavyweights Karol G and Nicky Jam, now joined by a crew of rising artists. Balvin also pulls off one of the most well-executed Spanish-English duos in recent memory on "Otra Noche Sin Ti" with R&B star Khalid.

JOSE's ambitious 24-song escapade neatly concludes with the genre-bending "UN DIA (ONE DAY," featuring Dua Lipa and Bad Bunny, where Balvin proves to be taking risks the whole way through. With JOSE, J Balvin offers stiff competition to Kanye and Drake's recent 20-plus song efforts with a far more consistent effort.(Sueos Globales)

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J Balvin Recaptures the Reggaetn Crown on 'JOSE' - Exclaim!

Dance music lovers are anxiously waiting for the upcoming EDM Trance Music Festival. This years event, Trance Music Celebration (TMC) will take place in London at Victoria Park on August 4th. It is anticipated to be one of the most popular trance events of the year. If you want to attend this fantastic event, keep reading.

Trance Music Celebration is a free event and is open to all who enjoy electronic and techno music. It is held every year at Victoria Park in London. The venue has been renovated with a grand opening celebration. With world class DJs, live music acts and special guest appearances, the Trance Music Celebration is definitely an experience you will not want to miss.

What can you expect at the festival? Well, tickets are available for sale online. If you are looking to enjoy a free view of the venue, you can watch the live video stream from the official website. You will also get to see photos from past events of the electronic dance music community such as Jahrome and Donut.

Tickets for the rave are limited, so hurry up if you are planning to attend. There are early bird ticket prices, which are only slightly more than regular prices. If you want to secure a good spot, the internet will be your best bet. The official EDM Trance Facebook page has rave events posted all over the day and week and you will definitely want to check them out if you are planning to attend the electronic dance music event.

The festival will start on Friday night with a free, open air concert by Swedish House Mafia. From there, the other musical acts will include Disclosure, Arty Rock and special guest. On Saturday, trance queen DMA will be performing as well as Swedish House Mafia. If you want to experience some electronic music in a completely intimate setting, the private intimate concerts are an option as well. The private concerts feature a series of songs chosen only by the artist or the crowd.

This is the final weekend to experience trance music at the festival. On Sunday, Swedish House Mafia will close out proceedings with a free show for fans. Arty Rock will be performing the final track of the evening as well as Disclosure. A VIP concert series will take place afterwards featuring artists such as Arty Rock, Disclosure, and M-Audio. The final performances of the day will feature No Mans Sky, Sunsets, and No Strings Attached.

For those looking for electronic dance music for the whole family, the Mardi Gras dance party is also scheduled for the day after the closing ceremonies on Friday evening. This party is a complete celebration of fun, food and music. You should definitely join in on the fun!

EDM Trance Music festivals are not the only offerings of this type of music event. Miami Swing Dance is a monthly happening trance event that happens at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center every Wednesday. This is another huge weekend planned for visitors to the area. Another upcoming festival in Florida is Midsummer Festival. It is the perfect chance for you to experience trance at its finest while enjoying all sorts of food, drink, and amazing visuals.

If you want to do trance music live, then you should definitely check out Coachella. This is an amazing annual event held right in the Palm Springs Desert. It offers some of the best trance music you will ever hear. It also features musical performances by top trance musicians from around the globe.

If you love to shop, then you should definitely check out Treasure Island. Treasure Island is known to host some of the biggest trance and music events in the world. This island gets its name from the way traders brought exotic items back to shore for selling. This is still true today as many vendors set up shop here to offer their wares to visitors. Treasure Island is also home to the first Aqua Beach Resort, so go pack your bags because youre sure to have a great time here.

For those interested in a little more than just electronic dance music, then there are always South Coast Music and Arts Festival. This three day festival celebrates everything that is related to the South Coast, from the artistry of the artists to the foods that are served at the festival. The festival has been going for over ten years now and is surely worth attending if you can make it to all three days. The festival usually happens in the early May or early June, so book your tickets well ahead of time to get the best selection and deals.

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What to Expect at EDM Trance 2021 - One EDM